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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. degree — from a university
  4. season — of the year
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rule — government
  12. cap — a lid
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. season — in sport
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. rule — a law
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cap — a hat
  22. degree — an amount
  23. cap — of ice
  24. degree — temperature

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com